A CONVICTED flasher who failed to register his new address with the police as a registered sex offender was yesterday jailed for six months.

Benjamin Robert Higgins, 20, formerly of Riverside Park in Saltney but now of Chestnut Court in Connah’s Quay, admitted breaching the notification requirements, and being in breach of a previously imposed suspended prison sentence.

District Judge Andrew Shaw, sitting at Flintshire magistrates’ court at Mold, said he had failed to comply with what were important requirements.

The court was told the defendant had been convicted of indecent exposure at Denbighshire magistrates’ court, and signed the certificate of conviction which outlined the requirements of the sex offender’s register.

He failed to register his new address within three days and that offence was committed in breach of a suspended sentence.

Arrested and interviewed on September 14, he said he had forgotten to register with the police.

Victoria Handley, defending, said the defendant had a number of problems.

He had been made homeless, he had to leave one address very quickly, and in the confusion he failed to register the new address.

There were mental health difficulties, but the defendant, who suffered from schizophrenia, received a lot of support from an outreach team working for the community mental health service.

She said that the defendant was clearly vulnerable and she feared he would be unable to cope in prison.